Starting this season, “bloggers” will only have access to the home locker room unless they make prior arrangements with the visiting team (and considering some of the positions taken by teams like Edmonton and the New York Rangers, that doesn’t sound like it’s going to be an easy proposition in some cases).

And now we’re back that seasonal debate pitting new media against old and recapitulating the NHL’s seemingly indefatigable ability to alienate its audience. The NHL is not just shutting out free publicity, it’s also pissing off that same free publicity.